All 2026 AMAs performances ranked: BTS and Karol G steal the night in Las Vegas

2026 AMAs performances ranked: the biggest moments from Las Vegas

The 2026 AMAs performances ranked list is out, and if the crowd reactions at MGM Grand Garden Arena are any indication, BTS and Karol G were the clear fan favorites of the night. The ceremony took place on Monday, May 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with Queen Latifah handling hosting duties across a show that leaned hard into its fan-voted identity.

BTS closes the gap between hype and delivery

After a pretaped segment opened the evening, BTS finally hit the stage live midshow, and the arena responded accordingly. According to Billboard, the South Korean group drew some of the biggest roars of the night, a reaction that aligned with their sweep of the top award: artist of the year, plus two additional AMAs. Three trophies total for the group made them the joint biggest winners of the night alongside Sombr, who also walked away with three awards.

Karol G carries Latin music to the main stage

The other standout was Karol G, whose performance underlined a point the AMAs has been making for years: the largest fan-voted awards show in the United States does not draw a hard line at American acts. The Colombian artist made, as Billboard put it, "major waves" on the stage, a reflection of where Latin music sits in the global conversation right now.

A show with something to say

The AMAs took place on Memorial Day, and the broadcast leaned into that context. Host Queen Latifah and Darius Rucker both offered tributes to active-duty service members and veterans, a through-line that appeared at several points during the show. The AMAs partnered with 11 military and veterans services organizations for the occasion. Rucker also performed as part of Hootie and the Blowfish, the alt-rock group that made him a household name in the 1990s.

Taylor Swift, meanwhile, went home empty-handed despite eight nominations, a detail Billboard noted in its winners coverage.

For the full Billboard breakdown of every act on the bill, from least favorite to absolute best, the complete ranking is up at billboard.com.